John_5mith:
The next step after thermal paste is solder flux, and that leads to EE. No wonder parents are concerned.
pokey9000:
Before you know it they're hiding solder paste in the back of the fridge and using the family toaster oven for PCB reflow. If you find empty SMD tape in the trash, a DMM under their bed, or find subversive books like Horowitz & Hill in their backpack, have a talk with them about the dangers of EE before it's too late.